Do not split AP, CM Kiran tells Antony

Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who is strongly opposed to any division of the state, made a final attempt to convince the party’s central leadership that Andhra Pradesh should not be bifurcated.

He met the A.K. Antony Committee alone at the AICC war room in Delhi on Tuesday and discussed the situation for about an hour.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had met AICC general secretary and state party affairs in-charge Digvijay Singh and discussed the latest political situation in the state. According to sources, the CM has demanded a rethink of the decision on state division keeping in view the Seemandhra agitation.

Chief Minister seeks united AP

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy explained the mood of the people of Seemandhra region and the fallout on the party. All the people of the 13 districts want to keep the state intact and are accusing the Congress alone for the division.

The people of Seemandhra are so angry with the Congress that they are not allowing Congress ministers and MLAs to enter their districts. “If the high command won’t rethink its decision to divide the state, Seemandhra ministers, MLAs have no option but to resign,” the CM told the committee, according to sources.

He said the same thing to Digvijay Singh and warned that the party will have to face many problems after the state’s bifurcation.

Once the CM’s meeting was over, Seemandhra ministers, MLAs and MLCs also met the committee and discussed matters for two hours. Some asked for a complete revocation of the decision, others asked that a Second State Reorganisation Commission be appointed to look into the matter of Telangana.

Earlier in the day the Seemandhra ministers, MLAs, and MLCs met at AP Bhavan to discuss their strategy.

Some ministers said all the Seemandhra leaders should speak in one voice demanding a united AP. But former minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, who belongs to Anantapur district, and some others said that their first choice will be a united state, but if the committee is firm on the state’s division, they will demand Rayala Telangana.

Minister S. Sailajanath who is also from Anantapur district was opposed to the demand for Rayala Telangana, but some leaders belonging to Anantapur and Kurnool districts supported the proposal.

Ministers from Kurnool E. Pratap Reddy and T.G. Venkatesh, and Union minister Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy were in favour of Rayala Telangana as the second best option.

Diwakar Reddy met the committee separately to seek Rayala Telangana. He said that if the two Rayalaseema districts of Anantapur and Kurnool were included in the new state, it would benefit both regions.